


all along

by starsun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Social Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsun/pseuds/starsun
Summary: Ingrid Galatea @IngGalWork done, I’m starving!!2:36 PM - 25,632 retweets - 39,540 likesSylvain Gautier @sylvvvg@IngGal want to go get some food? I know a good fried chicken place ;)2:38 PM - 1,632 retweets - 26,393 likesIngrid Galatea @IngGal@sylvvvg I love you so much, Sylvain. See you in 5?2:41 PM - 29,398 retweets - 87,640 likesSylvain Gautier @sylvvvg@IngGal h. i mean, love u too. see u soon.2:49 PM - 30,498 retweets - 83,572 likesmochi mochi @ringingbelI’m sorry but I’m laughing sylvain sounds embarrassed af.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Sylvain Jose Gautier, that last one is very very implied
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	all along

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Professor-Babeleth (Lilmisschique)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilmisschique/gifts).



> This was part of a gift exchange on a Fire Emblem Server, and I hope the person I got really liked it!! But anyway it is here now sorry for like everything this is a lot of buffoonery 
> 
> also im sorry for those on mobile because i do not know how to make pics look better

His surroundings were filled with smoke, flames that were getting too close to them to be safe, and she still wouldn’t let go of him. He swore her grip even tightened on him when he began to cough, the smoke getting thicker every second. She needed to leave before it was too late. He had to make sure she left. 

“You... need to go.” He muttered out, barely able to pronounce the words, he was already feeling dizzy. But he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t sleep, not until she was far away. 

It didn’t seem like his comment got across to her so well, if anything, her frown deepened even more than it already was. Her hands traveled from his arms to his shoulders, and his world spinned faster as she shook him from side to side. After that, it took him a second until his vision returned to normal and then he could see the tears pooling on her eyes, some falling down her cheeks. 

She never cried, he felt horrible. 

But he would take her crying and alive over dead any day. He would give his live for hers over and over if that’s what it took, he would for anyone he loved. 

“I… can’t do t-that. ” Her whisper came out broken up, and it made the pit on his stomach grow bigger. 

With the little strength he had left, he made sure to cup her face with his hand, and she leaned against it with no hesitation. “You can. You’re stronger than anyone… Please, Ingrid— I mean, fuck.” 

“Cut!” 

The director’s voice boomed from outside the set, and Sylvain could only groan. That was the second time today he had said Ingrid’s actual name, of the character she was playing. Brittany was nowhere near similar to Ingrid, name wise at least. Regardless, the redhead could only shoot a sheepish look to both the woman and to their director, mumbling an apology a second after. 

Ingrid stared at him as if he had just ruined her day, before brushing the tears off her eyes and smiling, and he couldn’t help but do the same Jeralt Eisner stared at him, not in the same way the blonde had, more as if he was analyzing him, and waved his apology off. “It’s alright kiddo, there are some details on set we have to fix anyway, come back in five. Keep doing the scene like that though, without name mixing, and we won’t need to reshoot another time.” At least Jeralt sounded happy about that. Who wouldn’t, when they were in one of the last scenes from the movie?

He stopped paying attention to their boss, of sorts, once Ingrid shook his shoulder. She was towering over him, a hand stretched in between. Sylvain took it and stood up with her help when she offered, shooting her a smile as a way of saying thank you. She knew what he meant without him having to tell her anyway, they knew enough about each other to figure out things with just a look.

Goddess, sometimes he still couldn’t believe they had known each other for so long. He still remembered the day they met. 

It had been ages before they decided they wanted to become actors, make it on the big screen, and somehow end up working on one of the biggest movie trilogies of the decade, along with the rest of their little friend group. 

Her hair was longer and she had most of it in braids, she had been so shy, only coming out behind her father’s back once Felix suggested they play something together, and he would be doomed if he didn’t remember how much she got into that, playing a knight saving poor prince Dimitri. Ingrid had changed a bit from that point in time, growing and cutting her hair as the years passed, becoming more bold and confident in her dreams and ambitions, and…

And Sylvain had to admit, she was one — no, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Also one of the most brave, determined, confident… he could go all day.

There were sometimes this past few years where she had teased him back after he had just given her a compliment or even straight up flirted with him — in her own awkward way, being that she either refused to look at him or stared as if she was discussing business propositions — and still, to be honest, the things she did rendered him completely useless because he wasn't used to it. But...

But she was also incredibly dense sometimes. 

_The redhead would show up with a big smile on his face, even if his hands were shaking behind his back, and pray to the goddess he wasn’t stuttering. “Hey Ingrid! I’m quite literally parched after all this work, should we head for a drink?”_

_But she would only look at him and frown. “Sylvain, there’s a water bottle right there.”_

Then the situation would repeat. 

_“Ingrid, I brought us a box of pocky sticks, do you want to play a game?”_

_“Oh. Are we playing to see who can eat more? Obviously. Thank you!”_

Honestly, it was both adorable, hilarious and kind of frustrating. But he would rather have her being dense than downright ruining their friendship because of awkwardness. Besides, if he was being honest, it was probably his own fault their situation was like that. How many times had he flirted with other people just as a joke, or not really looking for something serious?

She had rolled her eyes everytime he genuinely flirted with her, meaning most of her life. Even if Sylvain wasn’t really looking to begin something with her — and only with her, goddess — a year ago, he still meant every nice compliment he said to her, even when he ended up saying about the same thing to another girl later on that day.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sudden feel of a hand on his shoulder, or more like a mini slap if he was going to be specific. Sylvain only had to stare at the mop of black hair to his side and the familiar voice coming from the stranger to know who he was talking about. “I heard a certain dumbass mixed up two completely different names on a shoot, again.” Felix said, and Sylvain didn’t have to be watching him to know that his arms were crossed over his chest. Plus with his costume on him, his movements were obvious anyways. 

“At least I’m not the one who memorized his girlfriend’s lines one day because I couldn’t read.” His sentence worked like a charm in making Felix turn around and glare at him, although Sylvain was sure he only did that after hiding the scandalized look on his face. The raven probably wished that what Sylvain had said was a lie, but no, it wasn’t. That day was hilarious. 

During one of their first days of filming, Felix had accidentally taken Byleth’s script and showed up the next day knowing dialogue that wasn’t his, simply because he had only read the highlighted lines. After, the raven refused to see or talk to anyone for at least three hours. Sylvain couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. From the corner of his eye, he could see his friend making the tiniest smile. 

Ingrid might not understand his pick up lines or his attempts at flirting, but he was lucky enough to have her, their childhood squad — which included Felix, Dimitri and Dedue — and the rest of the friends he had met over the creation of this trilogy. 

So lucky.

* * *

**Sylvain Gautier @sylvvvg**

[picture: Sylvain Gautier, Felix Fraldarius, and Ingrid Galatea in a selfie. Felix is rolling his eyes even if he’s smiling, Ingrid is looking at the camera as she smiles, and Sylvain is looking at Ingrid. They’re dressed in their character’s outfits. The caption says “Break time!”]

12:43 PM - 62,482 retweets - 89,671 likes

**wearetherats @babeleth**

lol felix’s face

12:44 PM - 2,483 retweets - 10,657 likes

**pspsps @marthemblem**

is it me or does sylvain look so happy just uhhh looking at ingrid?

12:44 PM - 3,986 retweets - 12,984 likes

**britannyhugme @numberonefan**

Ingrid looks so happy!! Is… is that soot on their faces tho ;; 

12:44 PM - 4,938 retweets - 14,322 likes

* * *

A month flew by, and before he knew it they were filming the final scene of the movie — or at the very least the last one the viewers would see before the credits. That one where music was supposed to die down, where every dialogue had to be delivered perfectly to create the effect the director wanted. One they had all been looking forward to for a long while. 

Dimitri and Byleth stood ahead of them, both staring at Edelgard as the smoke and ashes cleared from her body. They were the focus of the scene, but that didn’t mean the rest of the cast — as covered in blood, grime and burned as they were — didn’t have to stand around them. 

“Tara.” The blonde mumbled, one hand gripping his relic casually while the other extended towards the hunched down lady. The people were supposed to interpret that as Chris giving Tara a second chance after all the ruin she had caused, and the empress was supposed to be convinced about it, smiling at the vision of a new life. 

Up until she wrapped her fingers around a dagger, a special one mentioned throughout the movies, and three things happened at once. Jeannie — Byleth’s character — would tense and ready her sword, but Chris and Tara would stab each other at the same time with only one of them losing their life. 

The Lions were supposed to scream and fret there, and so they did. (The fact that Sylvain only had to think about what he would do if it was a real life situation brought so much life to his performance). Allegra would rush to Tara’s side and check her slumped body, realizing a few seconds later that healing magic wasn’t effective at all with the dead. Chris wouldn’t shed a tear as he ripped of the dagger from his shoulder, Dorothy’s magic closing the wound in a hurry. There were no other lines in the script, simply the indication to leave in silence, to look as if they were pondering in the meaning of everything — the characters actually were — and then be received with cheering booming from the outside. 

The scene ended with a shot of Chris and Jeannie’s back as they walked out of the big doors from which they had entered the throne room before. The war was over, and with it, so was the movie. 

There were a few moments of silence before Jeralt Eisner stood from his chair behind the camera and began to clap. “That’s a wrap up, everyone! We have all the shots we needed!” And at that, the whole cast, as well as the rest of the production team began to clamp and cheer. 

He pulled both Felix and Ingrid, the people closest to him, for a hug, and then couldn’t help but smile as he saw Dedue join in, then Dimitri, then Byleth, until most of the cast was wrenched in a hilarious pile of bodies. 

Ingrid smiled at him from besides him before awkwardly wrapping her arm around his back, and the warmth that ran across his stomach was just as surprising as ever. Sylvain couldn’t help but smile back. 

* * *

**Ingrid Galatea @IngGal**

Work done, I’m starving!!

2:36 PM - 25,632 retweets - 39,540 likes

**Sylvain Gautier @sylvvvg**

@IngGal want to go get some food? I know a good fried chicken place ;)

2:38 PM - 1,632 retweets - 26,393 likes

**Ingrid Galatea @IngGal**

@sylvvvg I love you so much, Sylvain. See you in 5?

2:41 PM - 29,398 retweets - 87,640 likes

**Sylvain Gautier @sylvvvg** **  
**@IngGal h. i mean, love u too. see u soon.

2:49 PM - 30,498 retweets - 83,572 likes

**mochi mochi @ringingbel**

I’m sorry but I’m laughing sylvain sounds embarrassed af.

2:52 PM - 154 retweets - 4,812 likes

* * *

The cast had about two weeks of vacation before they had to get back to work. Even if the shooting was already done, they still had to work on promotion, hyping up the movie, interviews, photoshoots and what not. 

So it wasn’t surprising that he and his friends ended up on one of the most popular television shows with the most popular hosts in the continent. And he spent the entirety of the ride and his time in the makeup chair reading the new chapter of the fanfic Bernadetta uploaded. It was amazing. 

Anna greeted them once they were all done tidying up, and they chatted for about five minutes about the last time they saw each other, some little things that had changed, how good they looked, etc. She carried most of the conversation until she left them and headed over to the stage. It was time to start the show. She took a seat behind the grand table in the corner, just like she would in every single of her shows… or how her cousins would, he almost never knew who he was watching on the tv. 

The lights from the set turned on, allowing everyone to see the place in a bit more detail, and for the live audience to see the things in front of them. They cheered and clapped just as the camera started rolling, and Anna began to talk not a second later. 

“Good morning everyone and welcome to the Anna’s Secret Show! Today we have some exciting and well-known guests with us! Can you guess who they are? They have been friends for a rather long time, and are mainly recognized by their joint participation in one of the hottest movie series in the decade!” The redhead made a pause after that. She was giving the crowd a chance to guess. There were murmurs, but no concrete answers from them, or at least not any that Sylvain could hear. “Please welcome Dimitri Blaiddyd, Ingrid Galatea, Felix Fraldarius, Dedue Molinaro and Sylvain Gautier, more commonly known as the Royal Flush! Which, fun fact, is still a very debated nickname, since no one can remember where it came from!” 

They didn’t step out of backstage in the order Anna mentioned, but it didn’t matter. The moment their names were said the cheering had already started, and by the time that Sylvain was sitting down next to Dedue and behind Ingrid, the voices from the crowd were deafening. 

The applause died down a moment later, and Anna turned to face them, her hands now placed over the table. 

“First of all, we’re very glad you’re here with us! Now let’s get down to the business the people want to know.” Anna ended her sentence with a grin and a gesture towards the live audience. One brave person went ahead and whooped, and that got all of them to laugh. 

“As I was saying,” the woman began to talk again, “you guys have to tell us all about what your recent projects! We saw the trailer about two months ago but, there are some rumors out there about the last movie of the Three Houses trilogy being done. Can you say anything about that?” 

Dimitri smiles at Anna and passes a hand through his hair. It’s a habit Sylvain recognizes as something the blond does when he’s either nervous or really excited about something. In this case it’s the later. “Actually Anna, we do have an special announcement. You are going to be delighted about this.” 

Sylvain takes the moment Dimitri stops talking to nudge Dedue, and the duscurian simply smiles and nods. “The movie will premiere on all theaters on July 26th.“ Dedue says, and half the audience erupts into cheering and whooping, or maybe straight up screaming in seconds. The other half joining not even a moment later. 

It takes around two minutes for the crowd to calm down, but it’s not like anyone is really bothered about the noise. They’re happy their fans are happy. All of his friends are smiling, and while popular opinion has it that Dedue smiling is a blessing — and it is, he looks incredible like that — Sylvain still adores how blinding Ingrid’s grin looks. 

It’s just… the way her eyes crinkle, how the dimples on her cheeks become more apparent, and she just seems to glow. Goddess… He really had it bad didn’t he. One of these days he might as well say his thoughts out loud and embarrass himself to death.

Anna breaks the silence between them — the crowd is still kind of cheering, or at least some are clapping, many are mumbling — with another question. “That is excellent, I obviously expect a ticket to the premiere. Anyhow, do you guys think we could learn a bit more about what to expect?”

“We can say that you’re not ready for it at all, hell, it’s going to blow your fucking minds.” Felix says and grins, the smile on his face only growing wider when the audience laughed and Dimitri turned to look at him with a face so scandalized by his words.

“I have to agree with Felix here, even if I don’t agree with the way he expressed it, it’s quite the interesting movie. You may not expect half the things that happen, or you might, but in any case, the team is quite happy with what we have now.” Ingrid mumbles, giving the crowd a light smile and a wave.

“Yes! Please don’t forget to show your support to the movie,” he hears Dimitri say, and then he watches him frown. “I’m afraid that’s all we can share for now about Azure Moon, though.”

The rest of the interview was simply Anna asking about other stuff like projects they were working on — like the other movie Sylvain would be shooting, or the series Felix was going to participate on — what they thought of their co-workers, how they had felt during the shooting time, etcetera. Then, seeing the amount of time left in the segment, the host had the idea of giving the audience some time for questions towards them, and that was… quite an interesting time.

People asked Dimitri about his nickname as the prince — it was something his childhood friends called him because he had always acted a lot like one. Someone was bold enough to ask Dedue to marry them, another asked Felix how his relationship was going — he answered with a blush, a curt “fine” and refused to say anything else. 

Then staff gave the microphone to another person who was probably just a bit younger than him, “Sylvain! I, um, first of all I am such a fan! Second, have you considered dating anyone for real now? I’m available… just kidding.” They let out a laugh, and Sylvain could tell that they were nervous, but he laughed along nonetheless.

The question they had given him though, it definitely wasn’t an easy one. Not because he didn’t know the answer to it, but because he actually didn’t really… well he just couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to be inconsiderate towards Ingrid’s opinion, he didn’t want to embarrass her or pressure her either, specially not in national television.

But, like every important thing in his life, he went ahead and fucked it up. He realized that he had been thinking about the answer too long, people had started to murmur, and so he simply stammered out the first thing that came to his mind. “I love Ingrid. Lots. But...” Sylvain cut himself off by licking his lips, trying to ignore the warmth that spread across his cheeks and the shame that pooled in his gut. 

He risked a look at the blonde, and didn’t know how to feel when he saw how her eyes were slightly widened, her cheeks a light pink. Goddess, the redhead wished so desperately right there and then that he had the power to turn back time, just like Byleth’s character did in the movie. But he didn’t, so instead, he did the only logical thing and winked, unsure if it was towards the blonde or the audience. “I… don’t think it surpasses her own love for... food though.” 

Not even when he was five years old would he perform an act this bad. He could already feel himself cringing, and if this wasn’t live, Felix would have probably facepalmed already. 

He was so stupid.

Sylvain just hoped his stupidity didn’t ruin the good things he had this time.

Too worried about himself, the redhead doesn’t notice the slight disappointment that crosses Ingrid’s face before it’s carefully concealed.

* * *

**Dima Blaiddyd @princedimitri**

Today I was at Anna’s Secret Show along with @felixnswords @sylvvvg @demolinaro_ @IngGal! Come check it out :)

[picture: Anna sits in the middle of the couch, Dimitri and Dedue to her sides while Sylvain, Ingrid and Felix stand behind them. They’re all smiling, although it seems Sylvain’s hair has been ruffled too much, and Ingrid’s face is a bit pink.]

9:51 AM - 43, 372 retweets - 143, 982 likes

* * *

**Last Movie from Three Houses confirmed release date... and something else?**

by Bossfeed

Only a few hours ago did we see Dimitri Blaiddyd, Sylvain Gautier, Dedue Molinaro, Ingrid Galatea and Felix Fraldarius appear on Anna Gold’s “Anna’s Secret Show” and they had quite some surprising things to say.

We have known these celebrities for a long while, some of you may have even known them for your whole lives. Dimitri Blaiddyd still makes our hearts clench at his portrayal of the lonely boy who could talk to ghosts in one of his first movies. Ingrid Galatea inspires every girl and child to make their own stories when she starred as the princess who ends up saving the knight (portrayed by Glenn Fraldarius) back in 20XX. Sylvain Gautier and Felix Fraldarius making us laugh in “Felix & Sylvain” a movie of two brothers getting into all kinds of trouble, mostly caused by their little sister. And finally, Dedue Molinaro, who we have loved since he was only portraying a kid with big dreams as a chef. 

These five individuals haven’t always been on the biggest scope in social media, or at least that wasn’t the case until the five of them ended up casted for roles in one of the biggest, and most expected movie sagas of the decade: Fire Emblem Three Houses. And from then on people have learned much about them, how most of them are childhood friends, and how Molinaro joined that squad when they were in high school. We also know them as the ‘royal flush’ since twitter user @healinthebox called them that, justifying that you couldn’t have the perfect move without those cards, or something like that. 

Regardless, let’s get to the important information. Azure Moon, the last title of the Three Houses saga, premieres July 26th. How excited are you?

It also appears that Gautier had quite a lot to say about Galatea, his co-star and childhood friend. Check the link down below to see the theories compiled so far about what his comment meant and….

**[Keep Reading]**

* * *

* * *

The doorbell rings and the sound echoes all across Sylvain’s apartment. It has been an hour since the redhead texted Ingrid, and so he just knows its her behind the door. Although knowing that fact doesn’t stop him from feeling tense all over, or for his hands to stop from shaking as he turns the knob. 

The blonde looks up from her phone as soon as the door creaks and smiles at him, not to the point her dimples are incredibly visible like when she grins, but it’s still something that makes Sylvain smile just like her. 

He opens the door wider in between them, and she steps into his apartment as if it were her house. It kind of is, they both spend an incredible amount of time at each other’s houses, more than they do on Felix’s, or Dimitri’s. 

“On my way here I passed by that one restaurant that we liked, they still had some ramen left so I ordered for the two of us. I also brought some snacks and — are you even listening, Sylvain?” Ingrid turns to glare at him from the kitchen where she had placed the bags she had been carried. He had been standing at the door for a long time now. 

Shaking his head to get himself to focus, the redhead simply gave his friend a sheepish shrug. “Yeah, ramen and snacks. Let me handle the plating and stuff while you choose a movie on Tenflix for us to see on the meantime, though.” Ingrid shook her head, but didn’t say much else as she made her way to the living room. Sylvain, on the other hand, headed to the kitchen. 

The ramen was still warm, so it was only a matter of serving it onto a plate. By the time he was done, Ingrid had already picked the movie they were going to see and he wasn’t surprised to see it was ‘The Princess Bride’, it was one of his friend’s favorite movie. They used to act it out when they were children. Sylvain played the princess only one time. 

Today, he paid more attention to the one who always played the not-dead-at-all Montoya. Or at least the person who argued incessantly with Felix about the role. 

  
  


♡♡

The Princess Bride ended not that long after they had finished the first bag of chips. The ramen had been long gone, empty plates already in the sink, waiting to be washed. 

They were side to side on the sofa, their knees touching. The only thing that stopped them from being pressed against each other being both the idea of personal space, as well as the empty plastic wrap of chips. Sylvain took the plastic on his hands, throwing it to the bin only a few steps ahead. This was a moment, and he was going to take it and make it perfect. 

The redhead turns slightly on the sofa so that he’s facing Ingrid, his back against one of the armchairs. “Okay so, remember how I said I had something to tell you?” He asks, and she nods, humming what seems to be a yes around the fork in her mouth. How he fell for her is still a mystery. 

…No, it is not. She was the only person who truly understood him for who he was, who worried endlessly for him during the time his brother decided to reach out to him — which wasn’t a great experience —, who cherished him as a friend and a person like few people did. 

Really, Ingrid just treated him like a human being, but it was also the way she laughed, how her whole self shined when she laughed too loud or ate something she enjoyed, it was how she managed herself; confident and ready for every situation, even when he knew her problems were wearing him down.

Sylvain shakes his head and smiles, his nerves are still rampaging inside of him, but he’s going to take a page out of her book and be braver than he’s ever been before. “Alright, look, I… I hope this doesn’t ruin anything that we have going on. And by that I mean our friendship because there’s nothing going on besides that.”

The blonde frowns, but doesn’t say anything, allowing the redhead to continue. He takes a deep breath and takes a hold of Ingrid’s hand. It’s warm. “I would like for something besides friendship to happen between us. But it’s alright if you say no, I mean, nothing has to change between us! I just… goddess Ingrid I really love you.” By the end of his speech he can no longer look at the blonde in the face, focusing instead on their linked hands and the way his thumb moves across her skin. 

She takes her hand away from his grip, and Sylvain feels as if he got dumped on by the ice bucket thing. His heart sinks. Goddess this was such a stupid idea, how could ever think that— 

Before his thoughts can spiral down, he feels Ingrid placing a hand on his shoulder, and her name is murmured by her lips. It prompts him to look up, and instead of the glare he had expected to see on her face, or the frown or, hell, even a mock of disgust, there’s only a smile. 

It confuses the fuck out of him, but even as he stares, Ingrid’s expression doesn’t change. 

The blonde’s lips part for her to speak, and what she asks shocks him. “Is that really all you wanted to say?” He feels like that one gif where it’s just a guy blinking twice. 

It’s Sylvain’s turn to frown, “Hang on, how come you’re not more surprised about this?” He straightens up in the sofa, as if that would help keep his emotions in check. He grips Ingrid’s free hand in between both of his, making sure to look at her directly in the eye. “Ingrid, I just told you I love you!”

Now it’s time for Ingrid to frown as she tilts her head to the side, and Sylvain is both elated she understands now, and horrified because of how she will respond. The redhead is not expecting her to say, “Well, yeah, I know that. I mean, I kind of knew before.” 

What. 

The look on his face must have expressed enough, for Ingrid only rolled her eyes and then began to explain. “Sylvain, you stopped flirting with everyone. And then you were acting different, but not only with me. But besides that, I tried to compliment you so many times and even tried a garbage pick up line Claude and Dorothea suggested.”

Hang on, she did what? He couldn’t even remember that. The actor shrugged, he should worry about that later, it would do no good to dwell on the past now. “What about all those times I was asking you out or suggesting things for us to try out? Like with the pocky sticks!”

The permanent frown on her face only deepened, “You were doing what? I thought those were friendly gestures?”  
  


Silence spread around the place as both of them stared right back at each other with the same look on their faces, mirrors of each other. And then it seemed to click to them both at the same time. 

“Did… Did we try to flirt with each other and failed at doing that?” Ingrid mumbled, one of her hands going to her chin, something she always did when she was thinking. Then she rolled her eyes and laughed, a wide grin on her face.

Sylvain chuckled, “I think so.” He laughed, letting go of Ingrid’s hand in order to cover his face with his own and groan. “I guess that makes us both one pair of dumbasses.” He kept shaking his head from side to side, both because he couldn’t believe in himself, and because he couldn’t believe those words just came from Ingrid’s mouth. 

This meant one thing, all the times she had teased him back were not actually just fragments of his imagination, and she wasn’t just, joking around. Goddess, Sylvain had always said he was really good at reading other people, but now? He was a fool. 

Still, he couldn’t help but think that maybe he was being too hopeful. His hands had left his face, only for them to fidget with the little seams of his jeans. The redhead was nervous. Maybe he and Ingrid didn’t mean the same thing, maybe — “Hang on, Ing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy but… Why?” 

The stare that the blonde gave him was accompanied with a small frown after a few seconds, and Sylvain didn’t know why. Had he said something wrong? Was she actually considering? Was— 

A hand rested on his shoulder, a sturdy yet delicate touch that ground him. Ingrid was still staring at him, but she was also smiling, expression that Sylvain could only identify as fond exasperation. “Because you’re you, you dumbass. You’re kind, you’re considerate, you’re just… you.” 

Sylvain had heard a lot of reasons someone adored him or loved him, or just liked him. He had heard many more about why someone straight up hated him, never in his life would he have thought someone would go for the most simple, yet also most complex answer of them all. 

Sylvain is leaning towards Ingrid, his hands finding his way to Ingrid’s neck before he notices what he’s doing. He stares at the way he cups one of the blonde’s cheeks, the girl leaning against him a second later. Their foreheads touch, and the redhead feels as if this is a moment he can’t rush, as if they were trapped in a bubble of time and space of their own. It’s peaceful. He looks into Ingrid’s eyes, a pool of green as beautiful as jade. “Can I?”

Ingrid’s answer comes in the form of her leaning against him until their lips touch. 

* * *

“Sylvain! Sylvain!”

“SYLVAIN I LOVE YOU!!”

“Adopt me Sylvain!!”

The man in question couldn’t help but laugh as he heard the last scream, undoubtedly coming from a random teenager in the crowd. He loved his fans a lot, but sometimes they were… well, they said some hilarious stuff. 

Judging from the laugh that Ingrid let out next to him, the blonde was thinking the same. Or perhaps she was just laughing at her own fans, all types of people screaming how great she was, and he agreed. 

It had been a couple of months since that night in Sylvain’s apartment and now they were holding hands as they walked on the red carpet to the premiere of Azure Moon. Thousands of camera flashes booming around them as they stop for individual pictures, several of the two of them, others with the rest of the cast, etcetera. 

He’s in the middle of telling Ingrid how Hubert almost tripped by stepping on his own cape some minutes before — and she’s smiling so widely he’s sure her cheeks are hurting — when he heard his name being called. 

“Sylvain! Sylvain Jose Gautier! Over here!” People rarely said his full name because of the mess with pronunciation, so of course this reporter at the front of the crowd caught his attention. 

He couldn’t actually see their face, the constant flash from fans and paparazzi’s cameras alike blinding. They must have known that she had her attention, for they began to question him a few seconds after his eyes rested on their shapeless self. 

“Sylvain! Is it true that you and Ingrid Galatea are a thing? Are you getting married soon? Why have you not announced anything on social media?” The reporter barely breathed as they said question after question, practically shoving a microphone in Sylvain’s face the moment he was done. He could see Ingrid’s shoulders shaking slightly next to him. 

He would be laughing too, if he wasn’t sure that the camera would record that and if he was sure that the reporter wouldn’t be offended by that. Instead, he looked and answered the question with a smile on his face. “Actually, we just started an official relationship about two or so weeks ago… Went into a lot of dates beforehand, though. For months.” 

The redhead didn’t expect the small interview to end after the cameraman nodded at him, but he was definitely grateful when they turned to Ingrid — who still had a hold of his hand — for comment regarding his statement. Sylvain’s smile transformed into a grin when he saw the blush that spread across her cheeks, and the way she described how she was happy and really appreciated Sylvain and what they had between them made a warm feeling bloom across his whole self. 

Goddess, the things Ingrid made him feel. He never thought he could be this happy. 

It only took a few more minutes of the reporter asking both of them questions before they congratulated them, and then proceeded to ask again when the two actors were getting married. This time, both Sylvain and Ingrid laughed out loud at the question. 

It wasn’t an awkward or difficult question to answer, but the redhead responded how he would have any of those: by winking and walking away towards the entrance of the movie theater, Ingrid in tow. “You’ll have to wait for those answers, I’m afraid!” 

Five minutes later, he and Ingrid were sitting in the middle of the theater, Dimitri and Felix next to each of them respectively. They still had about two more minutes before it was projected, and it seemed that his girlfriend wanted to take full advantage of those. 

“You know, Sylvain…” She mumbled, her thumb tracing patterns on the back of his hand. He stared at her, waiting for the moment she gathered her thoughts into words. “So about what that reporter said, I… well.” 

Ingrid wasn’t looking at him anymore, and it was concerning. She looked embarrassed, as if whatever she wanted to say was costing her a lot of effort. He tried to contain the anxiety he was feeling inside, but guessing by the way he felt himself tense, it wasn’t his greatest effort. 

“Ingry— sorry. Ingrid, my dear, you know you can tell me anything, right? Did I say anything wrong back there?” He couldn’t think of anything that might have ticked her off, but, he was also not the brightest when it came to reading her. 

On hindsight, he should have expected that the thing she would tell him wouldn’t have been bad. If he had thought about how even despite how she wasn’t able to look at him in the eye her cheeks were flushed and the corner of her lips were turned up a bit, he would have probably not been as shocked when she heard her next words. 

“No, of course not. I just wanted to tell you that, you see…” He could see the way her throat bobbed as she paused to swallow, and then she was looking at him straight in the eye. “Sylvain, I do actually want to marry you someday. Maybe not this year, but next? I would.” 

Holy fuck. 

Sylvain felt the world around him still, even though he distantly recognized the sound of Felix’s voice screaming in shock, of Dimitri clapping him in the back and the rest of the theater exploding in gossip. He could only focus on the woman in front of him right now, how beautiful she looked, and how hard and fast his heart was beating on his chest. His hands stopped holding hers, moving instead to hold the back of her neck and cup her cheek. 

“Okay, yes.” He mumbled out, like an idiot, before he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. 

Azure Moon turned out wonderfully, a film that would surely shock, amaze and make even their most skeptic fans happy with the saga. 

Sylvain didn’t care much about that, too busy paying attention to — as cheesy as it sounded — the love of his life. 


End file.
